Wichita State student Darryl Carrington wanted Saturday’s “Back to Fairmount Park” event to do more than it did.

He said he wants students and neighborhood residents to mix and mingle and become acquainted. About 30 students and some community members attended.

“When my white friends are in the park, my black friends say, ‘Oh that’s a college thing,’ so they won’t come to park. When my black friends are in the park, my white friends say, ‘Oh that’s a neighborhood thing,” said Carrington, a neighborhood resident.

He said part of the reason for having the event was to bring the two groups together.

“What we are trying to do is fuse them, so they would be curious enough to come into the park,” Carrington said.

Toni Timpy organized the event. She said Fairmount Park has a lot of potential for people to visit and enjoy.

“I can see this park really becoming popular,” Timpy said. “But everybody that has come here today from outside of the neighborhood, not a one said they knew this park was here. And yet it’s a big, beautiful park.”

Timpy also said that when communities “work together and focus” they can come together to “develop the neighborhood” with mutual activities.

Fairmount Neighborhood Association, WSU, Wichita Parks and Recreation and KMUW were the sponsors.

Various WSU Jazz Ensembles performed live music, WSU students gave pottery-making demonstrations, face painting was offered and children were given train rides. Information booths were also set up from various organizations in Wichita.

Some antique fire trucks, historical Army encampments and a car show were supposed to be some of the attractions, but they did not come.

Both community members and students were represented at the park.

Ayesha Saeed is a student who volunteered at the face-painting booth. She said she has not spent much time at Fairmount Park, but when she went Saturday, she was told it had a bad reputation.

“One girl today was saying that this was a bad place to come at night and that it’s a sketchy part of town,” Saeed said.

Regardless of the negative connotations, many of those who attended the event had an enjoyable time.

Kansas Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D-Wichita), a Fairmount neighborhood resident, came to the event.

“I’m just overwhelmed with the people who are out here today. When people know the members of their community, the communities are safer,” Faust-Goudeau said. “I live by the park; I pass by here every single day. It’s great to see people out here.”